This weekend's most over-looked, though rightfully so, world title fight is in China as Xiong Zhao Zhong (21-4-1, 11) looks to make the second defense of his WBC Minimumweight title. Originally Zhong was listed to fight Omari Kimweri though unfortunately Kimweri has had issues with his passport and instead been replaced by inactive Thai Lookrak Kiatmungmee (7-4, 4) who is one of the weakest and least qualified world title challengers in recent memory.
Unfortunately for Zhong this was supposed to be his chance to defend in front of his people against a credible, though somewhat obscure, opponent. Instead Zhong will be facing a man who has been inactive for around 2 years and was far from a world beater when he was active.
Zhong, a strong, powerful, tough and bullish fighter is a real beast at 105lbs. He is far from "boxer" but is a fighter and very tough to discourage. Against Kiatmungmee it's difficult to see anything but a Zhong victory via stoppage as he walks through the limited Thai.
For Kiatmungmee he's really not got a chance, however it's great that he's filled in to allow Zhong his chance at history.
Prediction-Zhong TKO5
Showing posts with label Thai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thai. Show all posts
Friday, 29 November 2013
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Koki Eto v Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep
Whilst Asia is often viewed as being under-the-radar by boxing fans a number of Asian fights do seem to be able to become success courtesy of things like Youtube and various video sharers. One such fight was that of Koki Eto (14-2-1, 10) and Kompayak Porpramook from earlier this year. That contest, for the WBA interim Flyweight title was one of this years best fights and deserves to be considered on any FOTY list come the end of December.
Eto returns to Thailand, where that bout took place, as he takes on another Thai opponent Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep (32-2, 19) a man some fans may know better as Yodmongol CP Freshmart.
So far in Eto's career he has been the only one of three brothers to compete on the world stage. It was fair to say prior to his bout with Kompayak I didn't think he had what it took to defeat the Thai war machine but yet he out fought Kompayak in a thriller. What he proved there however was that he was a monster with solid fundamentals, when he needed them, a warriors mentality and engine like very others. He took it to Kompayak from the opening round and slowly ground down and beat the spirit out of Kompayak who was dropped in the final round, and would have been stopped had he not been at home or had his reputation for being a warrior.
With his victory over Kompayak, Eto created history due to the fact he was the first ever Japanese man to win a world title fight on Thailand. Unlike many fighters from Japan who had gone over to Thailand he seemed very happy in the conditions which are very unique. The thing about Thailand is that fights are held out door, in the middle of the day and often with searing heat. These conditions clearly favour the Thai's who are used to them but really don't do favours for foreigners going to fights over there.
When it comes to Yodmongkol he's a fighter than many who follow the Thai scene will have seen but nothing really stands out about him in terms of what he does in the ring. That's not a bad thing but he just seems like a very standard fighter, despite looking slightly more technically proficient than a number of other Thai's. He has nice enough hand speed but nothing amazing.
What Yodmongkol however does have is real confidence. He is on a 28 fight winning streak and although his level of competition has been average at best he is a fighter who will be used to the Thai conditions and a man fighting for the honour of Thailand, and his stablemate Kompayak (another of the CP Freshmart fighters).
Although I imagine Yodmongkol will show a lot of desire to win I can't help but think that Eto will manage to break him down. The only reason Kompayak wasn't stopped is that he's a tough, tough man and I don't think Yodmongkol has that same toughness either physically or mentally to withstand the Eto assault for 12 rounds.
Prediction-Eto TKO 9
Eto returns to Thailand, where that bout took place, as he takes on another Thai opponent Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep (32-2, 19) a man some fans may know better as Yodmongol CP Freshmart.
So far in Eto's career he has been the only one of three brothers to compete on the world stage. It was fair to say prior to his bout with Kompayak I didn't think he had what it took to defeat the Thai war machine but yet he out fought Kompayak in a thriller. What he proved there however was that he was a monster with solid fundamentals, when he needed them, a warriors mentality and engine like very others. He took it to Kompayak from the opening round and slowly ground down and beat the spirit out of Kompayak who was dropped in the final round, and would have been stopped had he not been at home or had his reputation for being a warrior.
With his victory over Kompayak, Eto created history due to the fact he was the first ever Japanese man to win a world title fight on Thailand. Unlike many fighters from Japan who had gone over to Thailand he seemed very happy in the conditions which are very unique. The thing about Thailand is that fights are held out door, in the middle of the day and often with searing heat. These conditions clearly favour the Thai's who are used to them but really don't do favours for foreigners going to fights over there.
When it comes to Yodmongkol he's a fighter than many who follow the Thai scene will have seen but nothing really stands out about him in terms of what he does in the ring. That's not a bad thing but he just seems like a very standard fighter, despite looking slightly more technically proficient than a number of other Thai's. He has nice enough hand speed but nothing amazing.
What Yodmongkol however does have is real confidence. He is on a 28 fight winning streak and although his level of competition has been average at best he is a fighter who will be used to the Thai conditions and a man fighting for the honour of Thailand, and his stablemate Kompayak (another of the CP Freshmart fighters).
Although I imagine Yodmongkol will show a lot of desire to win I can't help but think that Eto will manage to break him down. The only reason Kompayak wasn't stopped is that he's a tough, tough man and I don't think Yodmongkol has that same toughness either physically or mentally to withstand the Eto assault for 12 rounds.
Prediction-Eto TKO 9
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai v Hirofumi Mukai
The first world title fight this week is in Thailand as WBC Super
Flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (22-3-1, 20) makes the first
defense of a title he won in stunning fashion earlier this year.
Srisaket, who was all but an unknown in April of this year burst on to the scene in a big way back in May when he didn't just beat Yota Sato but totally destroyed him and sending him in to retirement courtesy of a destructive 8th round TKO. Unlike many champions however Srisaket hasn't just sat waiting for a challenger but has instead piled up a trio of none title victories keeping the ring rust off and his bank balance looking moderately healthy in the process.
For his first defense Srisaket will be facing Japanese southpaw Hirofumi Mukai (9-2-1, 1), a man who promised much when he first turned professional back in 2009 though has failed to deliver with losses to Rocky Fuentes and Mark Anthony Geraldo two solid but unspectacular fighters.
Mukai is a pure boxer. He's talented for sure and holds a very notable victory over Sonny Boy Jaro though in all honesty that's his most notable victory and came before his loss to Fuentes and technical draw with Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.
Unfortunately since beating Jaro it's been hard to be impressed by what Mukai has actually achieved. He has gone 4-2-1 since then with his most notable victory following Jaro being a decision over Saenmuangloei Kokietgym.
If we call Mukai a boxer then we need to call Srisaket a bulldozer. The guy is as strong as an ox and when he gets in the ring he is nothing short of destructive with every punch thrown with bad intentions. Against a fighter like Mukai, who was stopped just 2 fights ago, this power is simply going to be too much to handle.
Mukai may last longer here than he did with Geraldo but it's hard to view this as anything more than an easy and quick first defense for a champion who may be very, very hard to dethrone, as long as he can make the weight comfortably enough.
Prediction-Srisaket TKO 4
Srisaket, who was all but an unknown in April of this year burst on to the scene in a big way back in May when he didn't just beat Yota Sato but totally destroyed him and sending him in to retirement courtesy of a destructive 8th round TKO. Unlike many champions however Srisaket hasn't just sat waiting for a challenger but has instead piled up a trio of none title victories keeping the ring rust off and his bank balance looking moderately healthy in the process.
For his first defense Srisaket will be facing Japanese southpaw Hirofumi Mukai (9-2-1, 1), a man who promised much when he first turned professional back in 2009 though has failed to deliver with losses to Rocky Fuentes and Mark Anthony Geraldo two solid but unspectacular fighters.
Mukai is a pure boxer. He's talented for sure and holds a very notable victory over Sonny Boy Jaro though in all honesty that's his most notable victory and came before his loss to Fuentes and technical draw with Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.
Unfortunately since beating Jaro it's been hard to be impressed by what Mukai has actually achieved. He has gone 4-2-1 since then with his most notable victory following Jaro being a decision over Saenmuangloei Kokietgym.
If we call Mukai a boxer then we need to call Srisaket a bulldozer. The guy is as strong as an ox and when he gets in the ring he is nothing short of destructive with every punch thrown with bad intentions. Against a fighter like Mukai, who was stopped just 2 fights ago, this power is simply going to be too much to handle.
Mukai may last longer here than he did with Geraldo but it's hard to view this as anything more than an easy and quick first defense for a champion who may be very, very hard to dethrone, as long as he can make the weight comfortably enough.
Prediction-Srisaket TKO 4
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
Kazuto Ioka v Kwanthai Sithmorseng
One of boxing's top young fighters right now, with out a doubt, is unbeaten Japanese fighter Kazuto Ioka (12-0, 8), a former WBA/WBC Minimumweight champion who is current the WBA Light Flyweight champion.
Amazingly in just 12 fights Ioka has won 3 world titles and a Japanese national title. His rise to the top is almost unrivaled in today's over-protective boxing world with only former amateur standouts Beibut Shumenov and Guillermo Rigondeaux even getting close to rivaling what Ioka has done in recent years.
Ioka's rise to the top really started back in 2011 when he claimed the WBC Minimumweight title defeating Thailand's Oleydong Sithsamerchai in the 5th round of their encounter. This coming Wednesday Ioka looks to continue his his excellent form as he faces another top Thai in the form of Kwanthai Sithmorseng (43-1-1, 22) a former WBA Minimumweight champion himself.
Going in to this fight Ioka is rightfully a huge favourite. Although he has just more than a quarter of the fights that Sithmorseng has Ioka has the innate skills and ability that scream "super talent", the sort of ability that really stands out.
The key traits for Ioka aren't his aggression and toughness, as they are for many Japanese fighters, instead they are his clever and intelligent boxing, most notably his vicious straight right to the body, a shot he has all but trade marked with several stoppages. He can hold his own in a war, as he did with Akira Yaegashi, though seems much better when he's allowed to box at range where his skills with straight shots really standout.
Worryingly for Sithmorseng his sole reversal has come courtesy of a right hand to the mid-section delivered from Indonesian Muhammad Rachman, arguably the most well known of his opponents.
Although Sithmorseng has 45 fights on his ledger he has only fought twice in world title bouts with only Rachman having been a proven world level fighter, and even he was well beyond his prime. Saying that however you don't win 43 of 45 fights unless you do have some talent and Sithmorseng certainly does have some skills to him.
Unfortunately for Sithmorseng his key attribute seems to be his hand speed and his combinations up close. Against Ioka however this speed will be neautralised and his lack of power won't worry Ioka who will likely manage to create space easier than Sithmorseng would like. With the space created the intelligent body work will begin and, ultimately, end the fight.
Prediction-Ioka TKO7
Amazingly in just 12 fights Ioka has won 3 world titles and a Japanese national title. His rise to the top is almost unrivaled in today's over-protective boxing world with only former amateur standouts Beibut Shumenov and Guillermo Rigondeaux even getting close to rivaling what Ioka has done in recent years.
Ioka's rise to the top really started back in 2011 when he claimed the WBC Minimumweight title defeating Thailand's Oleydong Sithsamerchai in the 5th round of their encounter. This coming Wednesday Ioka looks to continue his his excellent form as he faces another top Thai in the form of Kwanthai Sithmorseng (43-1-1, 22) a former WBA Minimumweight champion himself.
Going in to this fight Ioka is rightfully a huge favourite. Although he has just more than a quarter of the fights that Sithmorseng has Ioka has the innate skills and ability that scream "super talent", the sort of ability that really stands out.
The key traits for Ioka aren't his aggression and toughness, as they are for many Japanese fighters, instead they are his clever and intelligent boxing, most notably his vicious straight right to the body, a shot he has all but trade marked with several stoppages. He can hold his own in a war, as he did with Akira Yaegashi, though seems much better when he's allowed to box at range where his skills with straight shots really standout.
Worryingly for Sithmorseng his sole reversal has come courtesy of a right hand to the mid-section delivered from Indonesian Muhammad Rachman, arguably the most well known of his opponents.
Although Sithmorseng has 45 fights on his ledger he has only fought twice in world title bouts with only Rachman having been a proven world level fighter, and even he was well beyond his prime. Saying that however you don't win 43 of 45 fights unless you do have some talent and Sithmorseng certainly does have some skills to him.
Unfortunately for Sithmorseng his key attribute seems to be his hand speed and his combinations up close. Against Ioka however this speed will be neautralised and his lack of power won't worry Ioka who will likely manage to create space easier than Sithmorseng would like. With the space created the intelligent body work will begin and, ultimately, end the fight.
Prediction-Ioka TKO7
Monday, 2 September 2013
Nobuo Nashiro v Denkaosan Kaovichit
It's not often a Japanese fighter has much success in Thailand, in fact the only victory in a world title fight by a Japanese born fighter in Thailand was Koki Eto's recent victory over Kompayak Porpramook earlier this year.
Despite the awful record of Japanese fighters in Thailand I've got a feeling we may see history repeat it's self this weekend as former 2-time world champion Nobuo Nashiro (19-5-1, 13) travels to Nakhon Ratchasima to face Thai veteran Denkaosan Kaovichit (61-3-1, 26), himself a former world champion, in a battle for the WBA interim Super Flyweight title.
Although many of those outside of the East haven't seen, or even heard of these two men both have been genuine world champions. Unfortunately both are now faded fighters and neither man has looked to be at their best in several years.
With both men looking ton be notably on the slide it's fair to say that I'm siding with the fighter who has shown more in recent fights, that is Nashiro.
The 31 year old from Japan claimed his first world title back in 2006 when he defeated Martin Castillo in his 8th bout for the WBA Flyweight title. Although he lost the title just a few fights later being beaten by Alexander Munoz he would later regain the belt beating domestic rival Kohei Kono for the belt.
Unfortunately after winning the title for the second time Nashiro's form has been less than stellar going 7-4-1 and 1-4-1 in world title bouts. Despite this he did look very good in his most recent loss dropping a very close decision to Tepparith Kokietgym in a fight that seemed to suggest there was more left in the sport for Nashiro, who had been talking about retirement prior to the fight.
At his best Nashiro was a limited fighter but yet a nightmare. Teak tough, hard working with more than respectable power and solid work rate. Had it not been for his somewhat slow hands and relatively stationary feet he'd have been a genuinely nasty guy to fight.
Nashiro's opponent, Kaovichit has an excellent record on paper with an incredible winning % however like many Thai's he has stacked his record with victories over limited foes collecting paydays, in fact he's already fought 3 times this year.
At his best Kaovichit was himself a bit of a nightmare to fight. He started his career with 20 straight victories before fighting Eric Morel and losing via an 11th round TKO in what was Kaovichit's first foray into world level.
Since the loss to Morel, Kaovichit would go on to claim the WBA Flyweight title defeating Takefumi Sakata and defend it twice beating both Hiroyuki Hisataka and Daiki Kameda before losing a rematch to Kameda. Unfortunately the Kameda fights appear to be the beginning of the end for Kaovichit at world level and he's only fought once more in "world" level action suffering an opening round blast out defeat at the hands of Luis Concepcion in 2010.
Although the loss to Concepcion was less than 3 years ago Kaovichit has managed to bank himself 11 subsequent victories, albeit at a much, much lower level.
Going on their last losses it's fair to say that Nashiro showed he could still compete at the world level whilst Kaovichit's punch resistance was certainly not what it once was. With this in mind I've got to favour Nashiro who I expect will have more than enough to defeat the 37 year old Kaovichit by stoppage late in the bout.
Prediction-Nashiro TKO10
Despite the awful record of Japanese fighters in Thailand I've got a feeling we may see history repeat it's self this weekend as former 2-time world champion Nobuo Nashiro (19-5-1, 13) travels to Nakhon Ratchasima to face Thai veteran Denkaosan Kaovichit (61-3-1, 26), himself a former world champion, in a battle for the WBA interim Super Flyweight title.
Although many of those outside of the East haven't seen, or even heard of these two men both have been genuine world champions. Unfortunately both are now faded fighters and neither man has looked to be at their best in several years.
With both men looking ton be notably on the slide it's fair to say that I'm siding with the fighter who has shown more in recent fights, that is Nashiro.
The 31 year old from Japan claimed his first world title back in 2006 when he defeated Martin Castillo in his 8th bout for the WBA Flyweight title. Although he lost the title just a few fights later being beaten by Alexander Munoz he would later regain the belt beating domestic rival Kohei Kono for the belt.
Unfortunately after winning the title for the second time Nashiro's form has been less than stellar going 7-4-1 and 1-4-1 in world title bouts. Despite this he did look very good in his most recent loss dropping a very close decision to Tepparith Kokietgym in a fight that seemed to suggest there was more left in the sport for Nashiro, who had been talking about retirement prior to the fight.
At his best Nashiro was a limited fighter but yet a nightmare. Teak tough, hard working with more than respectable power and solid work rate. Had it not been for his somewhat slow hands and relatively stationary feet he'd have been a genuinely nasty guy to fight.
Nashiro's opponent, Kaovichit has an excellent record on paper with an incredible winning % however like many Thai's he has stacked his record with victories over limited foes collecting paydays, in fact he's already fought 3 times this year.
At his best Kaovichit was himself a bit of a nightmare to fight. He started his career with 20 straight victories before fighting Eric Morel and losing via an 11th round TKO in what was Kaovichit's first foray into world level.
Since the loss to Morel, Kaovichit would go on to claim the WBA Flyweight title defeating Takefumi Sakata and defend it twice beating both Hiroyuki Hisataka and Daiki Kameda before losing a rematch to Kameda. Unfortunately the Kameda fights appear to be the beginning of the end for Kaovichit at world level and he's only fought once more in "world" level action suffering an opening round blast out defeat at the hands of Luis Concepcion in 2010.
Although the loss to Concepcion was less than 3 years ago Kaovichit has managed to bank himself 11 subsequent victories, albeit at a much, much lower level.
Going on their last losses it's fair to say that Nashiro showed he could still compete at the world level whilst Kaovichit's punch resistance was certainly not what it once was. With this in mind I've got to favour Nashiro who I expect will have more than enough to defeat the 37 year old Kaovichit by stoppage late in the bout.
Prediction-Nashiro TKO10
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Kompayak Porpramook v Koki Eto
This weeks first title fight takes place in Thailand as WBA "interim" Flyweight champion Kompayak Porpramook (50-4, 35) defends his title against little known Japanese fighter Koki Eto (13-2-1, 10).
The hardcore amongst us will know a bit about Porpramook who is best known for his 2011 war with Adrian Hernandez for the WBC Flyweight title. That bout may not have have screamed "big names" or even "give me attention" but it was a genuinely wonderful battle that Porpramook came out on top of stopping Hernandez in the 10th round.
Although Porpramook would lose in a rematch to Hernandez in Mexico in 2012 he had shown his heart and warrior spirit by climbing back to his feet twice before the referee waved an early conclusion to events.
In terms of style Porpramook is a bit of the "typical Thai" in that he's more of a fighter than a boxer. He's not a concussive puncher or a defensively intelligent fighter but he has an excellent engine that seems to never stop, he often applies constant offensive work and walks forward through whatever is thrown his way. Often this is enough to over-whelm his opponents but a clever boxer who has an equally impressive tank could defeat him or a powerful hitter who can dent his chin also seems likely to beat him (as Hernandez did).
Whilst the hardcore will Porpramook only the extremely hardcore will know too much about Koki Eto. One of 3 boxing brothers Eto is technically awful, he's almost without a defense or a clue of what to do in the actual ring though he does, rather thankfully for his career, have a dynamite punch, the heart of a lion and the refusal to just lose.
Aged 25 Eto is significantly younger in both "real years" and "ring years" though his youth hasn't been spent using reflexes to avoid shots, instead he often seems to take a few in the hope of landing his dynamite fists.
The power of Eto really cannot be over-stated. He may technically have just a 62.5% KO rate from all his fights but 3 of his 6 distance bouts were in his first 4 contests and his 2nd round stoppage of Denchailek Kratingdaenggym last November showed that power as he left the Thai reeling from wild and genuinely reckless blows.
With the power of Eto and the toughness of Porpramook I think we're actually in for a lower level version of the recent Omar Figueroa v Nihito Arakawa bout from this past Saturday. This time however the tough veteran probably manages to see off his hard hitting and much younger rival after a few shaky moments.
Prediction-Porpramook TKO7
The hardcore amongst us will know a bit about Porpramook who is best known for his 2011 war with Adrian Hernandez for the WBC Flyweight title. That bout may not have have screamed "big names" or even "give me attention" but it was a genuinely wonderful battle that Porpramook came out on top of stopping Hernandez in the 10th round.
Although Porpramook would lose in a rematch to Hernandez in Mexico in 2012 he had shown his heart and warrior spirit by climbing back to his feet twice before the referee waved an early conclusion to events.
In terms of style Porpramook is a bit of the "typical Thai" in that he's more of a fighter than a boxer. He's not a concussive puncher or a defensively intelligent fighter but he has an excellent engine that seems to never stop, he often applies constant offensive work and walks forward through whatever is thrown his way. Often this is enough to over-whelm his opponents but a clever boxer who has an equally impressive tank could defeat him or a powerful hitter who can dent his chin also seems likely to beat him (as Hernandez did).
Whilst the hardcore will Porpramook only the extremely hardcore will know too much about Koki Eto. One of 3 boxing brothers Eto is technically awful, he's almost without a defense or a clue of what to do in the actual ring though he does, rather thankfully for his career, have a dynamite punch, the heart of a lion and the refusal to just lose.
Aged 25 Eto is significantly younger in both "real years" and "ring years" though his youth hasn't been spent using reflexes to avoid shots, instead he often seems to take a few in the hope of landing his dynamite fists.
The power of Eto really cannot be over-stated. He may technically have just a 62.5% KO rate from all his fights but 3 of his 6 distance bouts were in his first 4 contests and his 2nd round stoppage of Denchailek Kratingdaenggym last November showed that power as he left the Thai reeling from wild and genuinely reckless blows.
With the power of Eto and the toughness of Porpramook I think we're actually in for a lower level version of the recent Omar Figueroa v Nihito Arakawa bout from this past Saturday. This time however the tough veteran probably manages to see off his hard hitting and much younger rival after a few shaky moments.
Prediction-Porpramook TKO7
Thursday, 2 May 2013
Yota Sato v Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
The first world title fight of the week see's WBC Super Flyweight champion Yota Sato (26-2-1, 12) attempting to make his 3rd title defense as he travels to Thailand in a possibly historic bout against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (18-3-1, 17).
In the history of the sport no native Japanese fighter has ever successfully defended a world title with a victory in Thailand. For Sato this is something that needs to be changed and with the way he won the title back in March 2012 shows that he has the ability to make history.
Back in March of last year Sato put on an incredible performance to claim the WBC title when he out pointed the highly regarded Suriyan Sor Rungvisai over 12 rounds, dropping Suriyan twice on route to the victory. Since then he has defended the title twice defeating both Sylvester Lopez and Ryo Akaho by clear decision.
Aged 29 Sato is a fighter who physically in his prime and a fighter who will not be wanting to lose his title despite going to Thailand where Japanese fighters have an awful record.
From footage Sato has shown himself to be very talented with a good understanding of the ring, fast hands, nice shot selection a genuine toughness and although he's not a huge a huge puncher he's a very clean puncher who lands hurtful shots as opposed to concussive shots. From a distance Sato is an intelligent fighter though he can also mix it up in close with a high work rate and an unexpected toughness.
At 26 years old Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is less experienced than the Japanese champion though his record is nothing short of eye opening, despite losing 3 of his first 5 professional bouts (including a debut loss to current WBC Flyweight champion Akira Yaegashi). Since a 10 round decision loss to Kenji Oba back in February 2010 Srisaket has been on an excellent run of 17 straight wins with 16 coming by way of T/KO.
Whilst Srisaket has been on an excellent run in terms of victories he has been fighting low level opponents with his most notable victories coming against Alvin Bais and Dondon Jimenea (who was the only man not to be stopped during the rug, losing a technical decision when Srisaket was cut). What his results will be like against an experienced opponent could be very different, especially when one considers that Sato has proven to be a tough nut himself.
Whilst Sato certainly has the skills, competition and experience edge it's fair to say that Srisaket's key advantage is the fact he's fighting at home. As mentioned already no Japanese champion has ever won in a title defense in Thailand. This sort of historical challenge lies on the shoulders of Sato and that sort of pressure can be enough to drown a fighters hopes.
If the bout was in Japan I'd assume it'd be an easy win for Sato but with it being in Thailand and being fought in the middle of the day in an outdoor arena it could be a very hard fight for Sato. I think, as long as Sato has prepared properly he should be able to defend his belt, if he's not prepared there is every chance he'll be upset here.
Prediction-Sato by TKO9
In the history of the sport no native Japanese fighter has ever successfully defended a world title with a victory in Thailand. For Sato this is something that needs to be changed and with the way he won the title back in March 2012 shows that he has the ability to make history.
Back in March of last year Sato put on an incredible performance to claim the WBC title when he out pointed the highly regarded Suriyan Sor Rungvisai over 12 rounds, dropping Suriyan twice on route to the victory. Since then he has defended the title twice defeating both Sylvester Lopez and Ryo Akaho by clear decision.
Aged 29 Sato is a fighter who physically in his prime and a fighter who will not be wanting to lose his title despite going to Thailand where Japanese fighters have an awful record.
From footage Sato has shown himself to be very talented with a good understanding of the ring, fast hands, nice shot selection a genuine toughness and although he's not a huge a huge puncher he's a very clean puncher who lands hurtful shots as opposed to concussive shots. From a distance Sato is an intelligent fighter though he can also mix it up in close with a high work rate and an unexpected toughness.
At 26 years old Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is less experienced than the Japanese champion though his record is nothing short of eye opening, despite losing 3 of his first 5 professional bouts (including a debut loss to current WBC Flyweight champion Akira Yaegashi). Since a 10 round decision loss to Kenji Oba back in February 2010 Srisaket has been on an excellent run of 17 straight wins with 16 coming by way of T/KO.
Whilst Srisaket has been on an excellent run in terms of victories he has been fighting low level opponents with his most notable victories coming against Alvin Bais and Dondon Jimenea (who was the only man not to be stopped during the rug, losing a technical decision when Srisaket was cut). What his results will be like against an experienced opponent could be very different, especially when one considers that Sato has proven to be a tough nut himself.
Whilst Sato certainly has the skills, competition and experience edge it's fair to say that Srisaket's key advantage is the fact he's fighting at home. As mentioned already no Japanese champion has ever won in a title defense in Thailand. This sort of historical challenge lies on the shoulders of Sato and that sort of pressure can be enough to drown a fighters hopes.
If the bout was in Japan I'd assume it'd be an easy win for Sato but with it being in Thailand and being fought in the middle of the day in an outdoor arena it could be a very hard fight for Sato. I think, as long as Sato has prepared properly he should be able to defend his belt, if he's not prepared there is every chance he'll be upset here.
Prediction-Sato by TKO9
Thursday, 28 February 2013
Pungluang Sor Singyu v Paulus Ambunda
The last 12 months have been awful for Thailand's boxing fans. They've not only seen notable names retire, including Pongsaklek Wonjongkam but also seen numerous Thai fighters losing notable match ups, such as Tepparith Kokietgym being stoped by Kohei Kono. Despite the horror of 2012 they still have 1 man holding a world title and that is the little known WBO Bantamweight champion Pungluang Sor Singyu (43-1, 28) who will make the first defense of his title this coming Saturday.
Sor Singyu, who defeated Filipino AJ Banal for the title will travel to Namibia to face unbeaten Namibian Paulus Ambunda (19-0, 10) in what promises to be an excellent clash, not only for the locals but for any lucky fans who get to see this clash.
The champion is one of the sports most under-rated fighters on the planet, a real issue with being from the east. In his two fights outside of his homeland Sor Singyu was impressive, losing a very controversial decision in Belgium to current European champion Stephan Jamoye and defeating Banal in the Philippines. Aside from those two fights however his competition has been limited.
Despite the limited nature of Sor Singyu, 24, he is a class fighter who is a very solid pressure fighter and likes to force the action with cleaver footwork, tough defensive and hurtful, though not concussive shots. Those hard, hurtful shots aren't going to take a top fighter out early though they will help to discourage opponents and break them down gradually, whilst his defense will also discourage and tire out opponents, as he showed against Banal.
Whilst the champion is a defensively solid and offensively smart fighter his challenger looks a little bit more crude and limited. Although Ambunda, the WBO #1 does look like a fun action fighter many of his shoots are wide and somewhat wild, especially his right hand which has looked easily avoidable in the past.
Ambunda is getting this fight due to his long reign as WBO African Bantamweight champion as well as his recent reign as the WBO International Bantamweight champion. Those titles have helped to raise his rankings dramatically. Sadly despite his reigns with various titles, Ambunda hasn't yet faced a recognisable fighter, in fact his best win to date is quite possibly over Brazilian William Prado, not a name that you'd have highly ranked in the Bantamweight division.
With the challenger having both an unbeaten record as well as home advantage he may well feel he's the favourite, from my point of view however Sor Singyu is the type of fighter who's just as good, if not better, on the road. If the Thai comes to fight there is no one in the Bantamweight division who will have an easy day with him and with that in mind I'll be tipping him to win. The thing about the challenger is that he's never faced a fighter who will do what Sor Singyu will do and with that in mind I think Sor Singyu will force a stoppage in the second half of the fight.
Prediction- Sor Singyu TKO8
Sor Singyu, who defeated Filipino AJ Banal for the title will travel to Namibia to face unbeaten Namibian Paulus Ambunda (19-0, 10) in what promises to be an excellent clash, not only for the locals but for any lucky fans who get to see this clash.
The champion is one of the sports most under-rated fighters on the planet, a real issue with being from the east. In his two fights outside of his homeland Sor Singyu was impressive, losing a very controversial decision in Belgium to current European champion Stephan Jamoye and defeating Banal in the Philippines. Aside from those two fights however his competition has been limited.
Despite the limited nature of Sor Singyu, 24, he is a class fighter who is a very solid pressure fighter and likes to force the action with cleaver footwork, tough defensive and hurtful, though not concussive shots. Those hard, hurtful shots aren't going to take a top fighter out early though they will help to discourage opponents and break them down gradually, whilst his defense will also discourage and tire out opponents, as he showed against Banal.
Whilst the champion is a defensively solid and offensively smart fighter his challenger looks a little bit more crude and limited. Although Ambunda, the WBO #1 does look like a fun action fighter many of his shoots are wide and somewhat wild, especially his right hand which has looked easily avoidable in the past.
Ambunda is getting this fight due to his long reign as WBO African Bantamweight champion as well as his recent reign as the WBO International Bantamweight champion. Those titles have helped to raise his rankings dramatically. Sadly despite his reigns with various titles, Ambunda hasn't yet faced a recognisable fighter, in fact his best win to date is quite possibly over Brazilian William Prado, not a name that you'd have highly ranked in the Bantamweight division.
With the challenger having both an unbeaten record as well as home advantage he may well feel he's the favourite, from my point of view however Sor Singyu is the type of fighter who's just as good, if not better, on the road. If the Thai comes to fight there is no one in the Bantamweight division who will have an easy day with him and with that in mind I'll be tipping him to win. The thing about the challenger is that he's never faced a fighter who will do what Sor Singyu will do and with that in mind I think Sor Singyu will force a stoppage in the second half of the fight.
Prediction- Sor Singyu TKO8
Sunday, 30 December 2012
Ryo Miyazaki v Pornsawan Porpramook
New Year's Eve goes out with a bang in Japan with 5 title fights, the smallest, in terms of weight, sees unbeaten Japanese fighter Ryo Miyazaki (17-0-3, 10) facing former champion Pornsawan Porpramook (27-4-1, 17) for the now vacant WBA Minimumweight title (which has been vacated due to Kazuto Ioka moving to Light Flyweight). This bout promises nothing but excitement as Miyazaki looks to show he's the next in a very long line of world class Minimumweight's from Japan whilst Porpramook looks to become a 2-time world champion.
The 34 year old Porpramook may not be hugely well known by fight fans in the west though he has proven himself to be a solid world level fighter over the past few years. He's been a professional since 2001 and has been fighting for titles since just his second fight (he claimed the PABA Minimumweight title in his second professional bout). In fact since 2007 Porpramook has been fighting, on and off, at world level.
In his first attempt to claim a world title in 2007 Porpramook came up short against the hugely talented Filipino Donnie Nietes in a bout that was close and hard fought by both men. The following year Porpramook would again fall short, that time again Oleydong Sithsamerchai. In 2009 the Thai would again fall short, being stopped by Edgar Sosa in a Light Flyweight title fight before scoring an unlucky draw with Sithsamerchai in 2010. For Porpramook it was fifth time lucky in 2011 as he out pointed the legendary Muhammad Rachman for the WBA Minimumweight title.
Sadly Porpramook's title reign was short lived as Akira Yaegashi stopped him in a 10 round war just 3 months after Porpramook had eventually won a world title. He now goes back to Japan to seek revenge for the loss of his title and get revenge over Japanese fighters.
In terms of his style Porpramook is a tough fighter, whilst he has been stopped twice he proved his genuine toughness in both of those bouts and he proved he is genuine all action and exciting. He's never let a fighter really have their way with him other than Oleydong in their first meeting.
Whilst Porpramook is certainly part of the "last generation", the 24 year old Miyazaki is part of the new generation of fighters who are swiftly emerging, especially in Japan (along with the likes of Ioka amongst others). Despite being just 24 Miyazaki is experienced and seasoned with 20 professional bouts and 115 rounds under his belt, many of which have been fought at title level with Miyazaki having already claimed both the Japanese and the OPBF Light Flyweight titles.
Although having made his name at Light Flyweight, the rock solid looking Miyazaki is a natural Minimumweight. Stood at just 5'1 he's a true warrior facing bigger men than himself to toughen up before getting world title fights and whilst things haven't always gone to plan (with 3 technical draws on his record due to head clashes) he's proven to be able to hang with naturally bigger men.
For me the youth of Miyazaki as well as the wear and tear of Porpramook are likely the difference here. This could well be the best fight of the 5 world title fights that take place in Japan on New Years Eve with both men giving it their all, though I just think Miyazaki will be a little bit too fresh for the Thai warrior.
Prediction- Miyazaki TKO11
The 34 year old Porpramook may not be hugely well known by fight fans in the west though he has proven himself to be a solid world level fighter over the past few years. He's been a professional since 2001 and has been fighting for titles since just his second fight (he claimed the PABA Minimumweight title in his second professional bout). In fact since 2007 Porpramook has been fighting, on and off, at world level.
In his first attempt to claim a world title in 2007 Porpramook came up short against the hugely talented Filipino Donnie Nietes in a bout that was close and hard fought by both men. The following year Porpramook would again fall short, that time again Oleydong Sithsamerchai. In 2009 the Thai would again fall short, being stopped by Edgar Sosa in a Light Flyweight title fight before scoring an unlucky draw with Sithsamerchai in 2010. For Porpramook it was fifth time lucky in 2011 as he out pointed the legendary Muhammad Rachman for the WBA Minimumweight title.
Sadly Porpramook's title reign was short lived as Akira Yaegashi stopped him in a 10 round war just 3 months after Porpramook had eventually won a world title. He now goes back to Japan to seek revenge for the loss of his title and get revenge over Japanese fighters.
In terms of his style Porpramook is a tough fighter, whilst he has been stopped twice he proved his genuine toughness in both of those bouts and he proved he is genuine all action and exciting. He's never let a fighter really have their way with him other than Oleydong in their first meeting.
Whilst Porpramook is certainly part of the "last generation", the 24 year old Miyazaki is part of the new generation of fighters who are swiftly emerging, especially in Japan (along with the likes of Ioka amongst others). Despite being just 24 Miyazaki is experienced and seasoned with 20 professional bouts and 115 rounds under his belt, many of which have been fought at title level with Miyazaki having already claimed both the Japanese and the OPBF Light Flyweight titles.
Although having made his name at Light Flyweight, the rock solid looking Miyazaki is a natural Minimumweight. Stood at just 5'1 he's a true warrior facing bigger men than himself to toughen up before getting world title fights and whilst things haven't always gone to plan (with 3 technical draws on his record due to head clashes) he's proven to be able to hang with naturally bigger men.
For me the youth of Miyazaki as well as the wear and tear of Porpramook are likely the difference here. This could well be the best fight of the 5 world title fights that take place in Japan on New Years Eve with both men giving it their all, though I just think Miyazaki will be a little bit too fresh for the Thai warrior.
Prediction- Miyazaki TKO11
Tepparith Kokietgym v Kohei Kono
WBA Super Flyweight champion Tepparith Kokietgym (21-2, 13) made 2011 a break out year as he claimed notable wins over Drian Francisco and Daiki Kameda. Since then the little Thai has been continued to make his name thanks to notable victories over top Japanese fighters Tomonobu Shimizu and Nobuo Nashiro. He will return to Japan once again as he face former 2 time title challenger Kohei Kono (27-7, 10).
Whilst it's true that Tepparith, a talented boxer, did struggle last time out with Japanese hard man Nashiro, that was more due to Tepparith being brought in to a brawl rather than a boxing contest. When the 24 year old "Astro Boy" is allowed to box and control the pace and distance of the fight he is exceptional using his jab as well as solid work rate. If he's forced to brawl however he can be out powered at times and, as we saw against Nashiro, can be forced out of his comfortable rhythm.
Although not a massive puncher Tepparith is capableof landing hard, hurtful shots, such as the shots that stopped Shimizu earlier this year (in what is notable Tepparith's only stoppage on the world level). Against a tough fighter, like Nashiro, this wasn't enough to establish the range, though not many fighters are as tough as Nashiro, unfortunately for Tepparith, Kono is.
Like Nashiro, Kono is a genuine Japanese hard man. Despite suffering 7 losses in 34 fights Kono has never been stopped and has hardly ever looked hurt despite facing some great opponents including the aforementioned Nashiro, former world champion Tomas Rojas, and current world champion Yota Sato. As well as those losses, he has only lost 1 other bout in the last 7 years, an 8 round decision to the highly regarded prospect Yohei Tobe.
For Tepparith it's the victory by Tobe that should really be the battle plan to use. Tobe used his speed, jab and movement to keep Kono away and although Tobe is a taller fighter than Tepparith the Thai has the class and ability to follow that sort of game plan. I don't think Kono will just take the loss but I think Tepparith will show the difference in class.
Prediction-Tepparith UD12
Whilst it's true that Tepparith, a talented boxer, did struggle last time out with Japanese hard man Nashiro, that was more due to Tepparith being brought in to a brawl rather than a boxing contest. When the 24 year old "Astro Boy" is allowed to box and control the pace and distance of the fight he is exceptional using his jab as well as solid work rate. If he's forced to brawl however he can be out powered at times and, as we saw against Nashiro, can be forced out of his comfortable rhythm.
Although not a massive puncher Tepparith is capableof landing hard, hurtful shots, such as the shots that stopped Shimizu earlier this year (in what is notable Tepparith's only stoppage on the world level). Against a tough fighter, like Nashiro, this wasn't enough to establish the range, though not many fighters are as tough as Nashiro, unfortunately for Tepparith, Kono is.
Like Nashiro, Kono is a genuine Japanese hard man. Despite suffering 7 losses in 34 fights Kono has never been stopped and has hardly ever looked hurt despite facing some great opponents including the aforementioned Nashiro, former world champion Tomas Rojas, and current world champion Yota Sato. As well as those losses, he has only lost 1 other bout in the last 7 years, an 8 round decision to the highly regarded prospect Yohei Tobe.
For Tepparith it's the victory by Tobe that should really be the battle plan to use. Tobe used his speed, jab and movement to keep Kono away and although Tobe is a taller fighter than Tepparith the Thai has the class and ability to follow that sort of game plan. I don't think Kono will just take the loss but I think Tepparith will show the difference in class.
Prediction-Tepparith UD12
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
AJ Banal v Pungluang Sor Singyu
The weekends most obscure world title fight takes place in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines as Filipino youngster AJ Banal (28-1-1, 20) attempts to claim the vacant WBO Bantamweight title as he faces Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu (42-1, 27).
Despite the fact neither fighter is very well known this still promises to be a very good fight as not only do we have two skilled fighters, but we have two young fighters looking to make a name for themselves and we also have nationalistic pride as boxers from two Asian countries battle out.
The highly ranked AJ Banal (WBO #1) has been one of the Philippines' best kept boxing secrets since he debuted way back in 2005 as just a 16 year old. Since his debut he has developed very well and become a very talented young fighter who many with a knowledge of Filipino boxing have tipped as one of their brightest young stars.
Banal's professional career didn't start brilliantly as he suffered a technical draw on his debut, however it didn't take long for him to get things back on track as he rattled off a series of 17 straight wins. Amongst those 17 wins were victories over Juan Alberto Rosas (who would later go on to claim the IBF Super Flyweight title) and the then 25-0 Caril Herrera in an IBF Super Flyweight world title eliminator.
Sadly however for Banal his winning run came to an end in 2008 as he was stopped by the hard punching Rafael Concepcion. Following the loss to Concepcion, Banal moved from Super Flyweight to Bantamweight, accommodating his growing body. Since moving to 118lbs Banal has been unbeaten and scored 11 wins (some of which have been above the Bantamweight limit) including a notable victory over former 2-weight world champion Luis Alberto Perez.
Despite having notable victories against both Rosas and Perez (as mentioned above) Banal is still pretty unknown by all but either hardcore fans or Filipino fans. This is a shame as he's actually fought in the US 3 times (with the most recent of those bouts coming in 2009) and has an eye pleasing style that should really have helped made him a US TV mainstay. Banal has fast, heavy hands and when he has his man hurt he really likes to unleash, as he did against Raul Hidalgo. Despite his aggressive mindset however, he has got decent boxing fundamentals and in his only loss to date, he was actually ahead on the score cards prior to be stopped.
Like Banal, the co-challenger Pungluang Sor Singyu is also highly ranked (WBO #2) and despite having had over 40 fights is also surprisingly young at just 24 years old. In fact the comparisons between the two men are numerous. Not only are both surprisingly young and very experienced for their age, but both men made their professional debuts at just 16 with Sor Singyu debuting back in 2004.
Sor Singyu started his career in excellent fashion and won his first 23 fights as well as the WBC Youth World Bantamweight title. Impressively he remained unbeaten until 2009 when he was controversially beaten by the talented Belgian Stephane Jamoye, in Jamoye's home city of Liege.
Since being beaten by Jamoye, Sor Singyu has run up 19 more successful victories, however they have all been at home and often against nondescript opponents with the best of them being against the likes of Marvin Tampus and Danilo Pena (both of whom are Filipino journeyman).
Sadly for fans wanting to see something of Sor Singyu it's hard to find footage of him in a decent fight, however the footage I have seen has shown him to be an "in your face" type of fighter with a solid guard and powerful looking right hands. His style looks like he'll be hard to force back and that if you remain in front of him, he will happily guide you to the ropes to bounce straight right hands off your hands. The fact he's only been in with poor opponents (Jamoye aside) however doesn't fill me with much confidence as to just how good he really is.
Whilst I do, genuinely like what I've seen of Sor Singyu I can't help but question his opponents and this leads me to feel that Banal will come out victorious, especially with this fight being held in the Philippines. I have to go with Banal by decision in what could genuinely turn out to be the fight of the weekend. I have a feeling that their styles will just play off on each other other as each man takes his turn to land their hardest shots on the other.
Prediction-Banal UD.
Despite the fact neither fighter is very well known this still promises to be a very good fight as not only do we have two skilled fighters, but we have two young fighters looking to make a name for themselves and we also have nationalistic pride as boxers from two Asian countries battle out.
The highly ranked AJ Banal (WBO #1) has been one of the Philippines' best kept boxing secrets since he debuted way back in 2005 as just a 16 year old. Since his debut he has developed very well and become a very talented young fighter who many with a knowledge of Filipino boxing have tipped as one of their brightest young stars.
Banal's professional career didn't start brilliantly as he suffered a technical draw on his debut, however it didn't take long for him to get things back on track as he rattled off a series of 17 straight wins. Amongst those 17 wins were victories over Juan Alberto Rosas (who would later go on to claim the IBF Super Flyweight title) and the then 25-0 Caril Herrera in an IBF Super Flyweight world title eliminator.
Sadly however for Banal his winning run came to an end in 2008 as he was stopped by the hard punching Rafael Concepcion. Following the loss to Concepcion, Banal moved from Super Flyweight to Bantamweight, accommodating his growing body. Since moving to 118lbs Banal has been unbeaten and scored 11 wins (some of which have been above the Bantamweight limit) including a notable victory over former 2-weight world champion Luis Alberto Perez.
Despite having notable victories against both Rosas and Perez (as mentioned above) Banal is still pretty unknown by all but either hardcore fans or Filipino fans. This is a shame as he's actually fought in the US 3 times (with the most recent of those bouts coming in 2009) and has an eye pleasing style that should really have helped made him a US TV mainstay. Banal has fast, heavy hands and when he has his man hurt he really likes to unleash, as he did against Raul Hidalgo. Despite his aggressive mindset however, he has got decent boxing fundamentals and in his only loss to date, he was actually ahead on the score cards prior to be stopped.
Like Banal, the co-challenger Pungluang Sor Singyu is also highly ranked (WBO #2) and despite having had over 40 fights is also surprisingly young at just 24 years old. In fact the comparisons between the two men are numerous. Not only are both surprisingly young and very experienced for their age, but both men made their professional debuts at just 16 with Sor Singyu debuting back in 2004.
Sor Singyu started his career in excellent fashion and won his first 23 fights as well as the WBC Youth World Bantamweight title. Impressively he remained unbeaten until 2009 when he was controversially beaten by the talented Belgian Stephane Jamoye, in Jamoye's home city of Liege.
Since being beaten by Jamoye, Sor Singyu has run up 19 more successful victories, however they have all been at home and often against nondescript opponents with the best of them being against the likes of Marvin Tampus and Danilo Pena (both of whom are Filipino journeyman).
Sadly for fans wanting to see something of Sor Singyu it's hard to find footage of him in a decent fight, however the footage I have seen has shown him to be an "in your face" type of fighter with a solid guard and powerful looking right hands. His style looks like he'll be hard to force back and that if you remain in front of him, he will happily guide you to the ropes to bounce straight right hands off your hands. The fact he's only been in with poor opponents (Jamoye aside) however doesn't fill me with much confidence as to just how good he really is.
Whilst I do, genuinely like what I've seen of Sor Singyu I can't help but question his opponents and this leads me to feel that Banal will come out victorious, especially with this fight being held in the Philippines. I have to go with Banal by decision in what could genuinely turn out to be the fight of the weekend. I have a feeling that their styles will just play off on each other other as each man takes his turn to land their hardest shots on the other.
Prediction-Banal UD.
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